A Best Practice Guide to Using BARS

This slideshow demonstrates best practice in using BARS to write a 'SMART' BAP and report on progress using a model HAP and model SAPs for the London Borough of Wandsworth

You will see a series of screenshots from the BARS data entry application showing best practice examples of how to fill in the various fields

As you click through the slideshow Tips will appear Like this And to help you navigate through the screens, you will be shown where to click next Like this Now click here

Subjects covered: What BARS can do for you: examples of reports The Model BAP: Species and Habitats Setting up a HAP: Acid Grassland in Wandsworth Setting up a SAP: Bats in Wandsworth Model Reporting in BARS: Action reporting Target reporting Overview reporting

What BARS can do for you: examples of reports

With a SMART BAP on BARS up-to-date, informative reports for your partnership and the wider public and regular progress reporting you can produce at the click of a mouse to answer questions like this…

Question: What is the status of the different habitats and species in Wandsworth?

Answer: ‘Partnership habitats and species’ report

Question: I want a progress report on all the HAPs and SAPs by yesterday afternoon!

Answer: ‘Plan overview reports’

Question: Has there been any progress towards BAP targets?

Answer: ‘Target progress across plans’ report

Question: Has anything been done for the Grey Heron in Wandsworth in the last four years?

Answer: ‘Action Progress’ report

Question: I’m interested in bats. What has Wandsworth done for bats, and what is planned for the future?

Now click here Answer: ‘Complete Action Plan’ report

LB Wandsworth: A Model BAP on BARS

Status of species and habitats in Wandsworth

Now click here to look at status of the pipistrelle bat Species the BAP is working on Not a list of every species in the borough Habitats in Wandsworth

Number of known roosts of pipistrelles in Wandsworth Now click here

Now click here to look at status of standing water

Habitat survey data provided by GiGL Now click here

Now click here to look at the loss record

Information on how the loss was managed

Acid Grassland in Wandsworth: A Model HAP on BARS

Acid Grassland is a London BAP Habitat that exists in this borough – therefore it has a HAP Brief, general overview of status and what HAP wants to achieve… Helps the public visualise what the HAP is about Now click here …written in whole sentences in accessible language.

No need to list species in a HAP… …habitat is usually enough Now click here

are quantifiable Limited number of targets – 3 or 4 maximum Clear starting point for maintaining extent Now click here to open Target AG02 Habitat Targets: contribute to London HAP targets for condition & expansion of Acid Grassland are in line with UK BAP target definitions (maintain extent, achieve condition, restoration, expansion)

Now click here

Sp & habs tab Only the extent of acid grassland will be measured – so no species are listed for this target Now click here

Target goal is measurable Uses same units as London HAP Now click here and time-bound

Now click here

Action code links to the most relevant target Actions fit each stage of project development e.g for creation of acid grassland in Wandsworth (target AG03)…. 1. Identify sites 2. Find funding for first site 3. Do the work on first site 4. Consultation for second site More actions will be added as project develops e.g. AG03.05 Find funding for second site if consultation successful Now click here to open Action AG03.03

Realistic time-frame Clear, specific action Now click here

Specific location identified Now click here

Quantifiable goal for habitat expansion Now click here

Linked to habitat expansion target Now click here

Estimated cost of habitat creation Now click here

Comments can be used to clarify issues. Now click here In this case, when this action will be considered complete.

bats Now click here to open Action AG02.03 Most actions will have effects on a wide range of species… …but there is no need to list the species or link them to SAPs However… Action AG02.03 is about managing acid grassland habitat specifically for bats, so is linked to the Bat SAP target…

…and bat species are therefore listed for this action

Bats in Wandsworth: A Model SAP on BARS

Now click here Vision statement gives a brief introduction to this species group and why it has a SAP Helps the public visualise what the SAP is about Bats have their own SAP because they use a range of habitats and have special requirements that cannot be addressed in a HAP

All bat species found in Wandsworth are listed here The habitats list is left blank as this is a species action plan Now click here

Now click here to open Target B01 Species Targets: are in line with UK BAP target definitions (population size or range) are quantifiable

Not all species will have full survey data as a baseline. This explains the approach taken for this SAP. Now click here

Target Goal is user-defined - overcomes limited survey data for each species Now click here

Setting up actions is essentially the same for HAPs and SAPs This action is part of Acid Grassland HAP but is linked to the Bat SAP, and so appears here as well.

Other actions were created within the Bat SAP Now click here to open Action B01.01

This action is ongoing, so has no end date Now click here

Ongoing time commitment of Borough Officer is recorded here Now click here

No action goal for this action as the number of planning applications submitted is not under control of BAP partnership

Reporting in BARS

Three Types of Reporting in BARS Action reporting: when action has been taken e.g. applied for funding, sowed seeds, planted trees, held an open day, etc Target reporting: when there has been measurable progress towards target goals e.g. new habitat created, survey indicates population increase, etc Overview reporting: summarises overall achievements of the HAP or SAP

Action reporting

Now click here to open Action AG03.03 Reporting on Action AG03.03

Now click here

Now click here to look at the latest progress report

Progress report gives brief details of what has been done… …and where… Now click here …and why… …and when… …using accessible language and whole sentences.

Now click here

Action Goal updated to keep track of quantifiable progress Now click here

Status updated Now click here

Expenditure recorded Now click here

Successive progress reports at different stages can reduce the need for long lists of actions e.g reporting on action AG03.02 fundraising for habitat creation….

Now click here to open Action AG03.02

Now click here to see the first progress report

First report when funder identified Now click here

Now click here to see the second progress report

Second report when application submitted Now click here

Now click here to see the latest progress report

Third report when funding received Now click here

Progress towards this action goal reported when funding received

Relevant documents are attached as part of action progress reports e.g. Reporting on Action B01.02 Providing advice to householders…

Now click here to open Action B01.02

Now click here to see the progress report

A brief, easy to read progress report shows where readers can find more information… …and the leaflet has been attached for access from the public area of BARS Now click here to see the leaflet

Action Reporting Summary Report action progress on these tabs: Progress reports: Brief verbal report and attach relevant documents Action goal: Quantifiable progress Status: Update status when it changes Resources: Record time and money spent

Target reporting

Now click here to open Target AG03 Reporting on Target AG03.03

0.5 ha created at Wandsworth Common 1.5 ha in progress at Tooting Common Updated quantifiable target measures Now click here

Up-to-date reporting Status report… …complemented by brief verbal progress report - much more informative than status alone Verbal report only about goal of habitat creation itself. Does not include e.g. funding obtained, consultation, publicity etc.

Reporting on Bat SAP Target B01 Now click here to see the latest progress report

Brief progress report relevant to the target of roost numbers. Does not include information on planning applications, etc. This has been reported in reports for actions.

Target reporting summary Report target progress on these tabs: Progress reports: Brief verbal summary of progress directly related to target goals Target goals: Quantifiable progress

Overview Reporting

Now click here to open the overview report

Overview reporting for the Wandsworth Acid Grassland HAP Top-level report on how the whole Acid Grassland HAP is going.

For most partnerships/ boroughs in London, filling in the report summary may be sufficient… …but more detailed information can be added under different categories using the Progress tab …and a similar report for the Bats SAP. Now click here

A significant constraint is recorded because it is holding the plan back This will be picked up in 3-yearly reporting rounds and is a chance to influence government policy etc Now click here to open the constraints report

Details of the constraint… …and a proposed solution

Overview reporting summary Report overall HAP/SAP progress on Plan Overview Report tab: Summary: Highlights/overall achievements of the HAP/SAP Progress: More detail if required Constraints: Significant factors holding up progress

For more… Have a look at Wandsworth’s Acid Grassland HAP Bats SAP and Grey Heron SAP on BARS